Keeping a journal of your permaculture garden is an invaluable tool for tracking progress, identifying problems, and planning for the future. Permaculture is thought and knowledge intensive; it takes a holistic approach to growing plants, emphasizing working with nature and creating regenerative ecosystems, while taking into account the many variables in natural systems. Each experience can bring value to both your project, and your knowledge base.
Tracking Progress
By recording the dates of planting, harvesting, and other important events, you can see how your garden has evolved and improved. You can also use your journal to document the successes and failures of different techniques and strategies, which can help you refine your approach in the future.
With climate change being accelerated, seasons differ in length and specificity, from year to year; taking note of details can help with making sense of series of events, understanding causality, or corroboration, and much more.
Identifying Problems
By recording observations about plant growth, soil quality, and other factors, you can identify patterns and trends that may indicate underlying issues. For example, if you notice that certain plants are struggling to grow in a particular area of your garden, you can investigate the soil quality and nutrient levels in that area to determine if there is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Finding solutions that work through successive trials can inform your future choices, and even strategies.
Planning for the Future
By documenting your successes and failures, you can identify techniques and strategies that work well for your garden and those that do not. Use your journal to plan for the next growing season, making note of which plants you want to grow and where, which are impacted by certain factors – which can you prevent or mitigate better, as well as any changes or improvements you want to make to your garden.
Personal Reflection
In addition to being a useful tool for tracking progress and planning for the future, a permaculture garden journal is also a source of personal reflection. Through recording your thoughts and feelings about your garden, you gain a deeper appreciation for the work that goes into creating a sustainable ecosystem. By going back to your notes, certain decisions are easier to make, and mistakes are not repeated.
Use your journal to reflect on the broader implications of permaculture gardening, such as the role of humans in shaping the natural world, by regenerative practices.
Sharing Knowledge
By documenting your experiences and insights, you provide a wealth of information to other permaculture gardeners who may be facing similar challenges. You can also use your journal to document the unique features of your garden, such as the plants and animals that inhabit it, and share that information with others who may be interested in permaculture gardening.
Through classical and new media (books, articles, vlogs etc.), the knowledge that you amass can bring an added value to yourself and others, financially and socially.
Conclusion
Keeping a permaculture garden journal can be an invaluable tool for tracking progress, identifying problems, planning for the future, personal reflection, and sharing knowledge with others. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting out, a journal can help you document your journey and gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world. By recording your observations and insights, you create a lasting record of your permaculture garden and contribute to the broader movement towards regenerative agriculture.
